Health Tip: Talk to Your Kids Early About Alcohol Use

You should speak with your children while they’re younger about the dangers of alcohol use and abuse, the American Academy of Pediatrics suggests.

Alcohol is the substance most frequently abused by teens, and leads to the greatest number of injuries and deaths from accidents and suicides among people in that age group, the academy says.

A recent study found that just 10 percent of parents thought their teens drank alcohol, yet 52 percent of teens polled admitted to do doing so.

The academy offers this additional information:

The younger a teen starts drinking, the more likely he or she will have an adult drinking problem.
Drinking can lead to lower grades.
Drinking is frequently associated with unsafe sex.

Source: HealthDay